SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th, 2026
Before we get to today’s news, here’s what happened on this date in history. On this day in 1774, the First Continental Congress convened at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia, with 56 delegates responding to Britain’s Coercive Acts.
Also on this day in 1836, Sam Houston was elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas.
⚔️ Israel Seizes Lebanon Ridge as EU Joins Iran Sanctions
Israel’s military announced Thursday it had seized operational control of the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon from Hezbollah, using “ambushes, mortar fire, grenades and drone strikes,” as the European Union formally joined the U.S.-led “Operation Economic Outcast” sanctions campaign against Iran.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the alliance “will not stop until every remaining financial lifeline has been severed” from the Iranian regime.
The pressure campaign has slashed Iran’s oil export revenue by an estimated 30 to 40 percent since its late-August launch, according to administration officials.
U.S. diesel prices hit a record $5.85 a gallon Friday, topping the previous high set in June 2022, as Brent crude traded above $95 a barrel.
💸 Musk’s America PAC Makes Its First Midterm Move
Elon Musk’s America PAC has begun spending on the 2026 midterms, reporting more than $800,000 across 44 expenditures as it wades into competitive Senate and House races nationwide. The Texas Senate race drew the largest share, with over $120,000 spent boosting Republican Ken Paxton and opposing Democrat James Talarico.
The PAC is also backing GOP Senate hopeful Mike Rogers in Michigan and House members Ashley Hinson, Mike Lawler and Thomas Kean Jr.
Most of the money has gone through Storytellers Group, a direct-mail vendor, for “printing” expenses.
It’s the first spending from America PAC, which Musk launched during the 2024 campaign, aimed at the 2026 midterm cycle.
💵 Trump Threatens to Halt Trade Unless Fed Cuts Rates
President Trump threatened Friday to halt trade with any country running a surplus against the U.S. unless the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, posting on Truth Social: “LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT.” The threat came hours after a stronger-than-expected August jobs report raised market expectations of a Fed rate hike rather than a cut.
Trump has pressured Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, his own appointee, to slash rates since replacing Jerome Powell, but inflation concerns tied to the Iran war have kept the Fed on hold.
Trump framed the trade cutoffs as an alternative to tariffs, tying the shift to a recent Supreme Court ruling curbing his tariff authority.
The threat marks a further break from decades of White House deference to Federal Reserve independence on monetary policy.
⚖️ Supreme Court Ruling Hands GOP a Midterm Cash Edge
The Supreme Court’s ruling striking down federal limits on coordinated spending between parties and candidates is now delivering Republicans a historic financial edge for the midterms, after the Court granted an emergency application Friday letting party committees buy TV and radio ads at the same discounted rates as candidates. The NRCC has already reserved $8.7 million in coordinated ads across more than 20 competitive races.
Justice Kavanaugh’s majority opinion in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC said striking the old caps “treats all political parties equally” and lets them “participate more freely and compete more fully in the political process.”
The NRCC now holds $92 million cash on hand to the DCCC’s $80 million — its biggest lead at this point in a cycle in 14 years — while nationally the RNC holds more than $130 million to the DNC’s $9.5 million against $18 million in debt.
An NRCC spokesman said the committee “built a war chest” while Democrats “lit millions of dollars on fire” on primary fights; the DCCC says it invested early in digital and mail before shifting to TV in the campaign’s final two months.
🚔 Danbury Council Votes 18-2 to Let Non-Citizens Serve as Police
Danbury, Connecticut’s City Council voted 18-2 this week to let non-citizen legal residents and DACA recipients serve as city police officers, following a week of ICE enforcement operations that saw more than 60 arrests around the city. Mayor Roberto Alves, who immigrated to the U.S. as an undocumented child, backed the measure, insisting hiring standards remain unchanged. The vote comes as Danbury’s public schools report roughly 700 fewer students enrolled this year, a decline officials and advocates tie to immigrant families’ fear of ICE. Border czar Tom Homan pushed back on claims that agents are targeting children.
Danbury’s council split 17 Democrats and 1 Republican in favor to 2 Republicans opposed; Councilman Joe Britton said the vote “sends a message to our immigrant community that you are welcome in Danbury.”
Mayor Roberto Alves, who immigrated to the U.S. undocumented as a child, insisted “the standards are not being lowered” — every applicant still faces the same background, training and fitness screening.
Danbury schools have lost roughly 700 students this year amid ICE fears; border czar Tom Homan countered that agents target only “illegal aliens with final orders of removal… those who are criminals,” not kids.